Safford g



(Model.)

G. PERRY.

TBBTH SEPARATOR. No. 366,025. Patented July 5, 1887'.

N. F'zrsns. Phowmhngnphar, wasmngnm, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Gitaren...

SAFFORD G. PERRY, OF NEW' YORK, N. Y.

TEETH-sEPARAToR.

SPECIFICATION forming part; of Letters Patent No. 366,025, dated July 5, 18?.

Application filed Jann ry Q6, 18H7. Serial No. 225,513. (Model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAFFORD G. PERRY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Teeth-separati ng Apparatus,of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to devices for forcing proximal teeth apart and for holding them separated during the time of treatment or operation thereon.

Heretofore instruments of this class have usually consisted of a Ushaped spring, each arm of which carried two jaws adapted to en gage a tooth, the jaws of one arm being arranged opposite the jaws of the other arm, and the arms being provided with a screw arranged between the spring and their inside jaws for the purpose of forcing such arms and the opposite jaws apart.

These separators are wanting in various particulars ot' convenience and efficiency, which it is the object of the present invention to provide. Thus the shank or spring part of such a separator constitutes an undesirable projection that bears against and is liable to irritate the tongue or cheek of the patient, and more particularly it is an obstruction to the operator, in that it and the adjusting-screw that it carries, which is located above the point of bearing of thejaws, prevent free access to the proximal surfaces ot' the teeth and interfere with the use of the emery-tape, sandpaper disk, and other tools. radial movement of the arms of the separator causes the outer jaws to travel faster than the inner jaws, and consequently the space formed between the teeth is narrower on the side Vnext the spring,and the separating force, being not in the line of the teeth, tends to a lateral displacement of the teeth that it is desirable to avoid. The outside jaws, also being unsupported, are less rigidly held than the inside jaws, and hence are not as steady as is requisite.

The present invention consists, lirst, of a separator composed of two separate or independent arms or bows constructed to engage the teeth, the bows being provided with a screw at each end thereof,which are arranged to lie falong the sides of or substantially paral Furthermore, the

lel to the gums, and are adapted to move the bows to and from each other in the direction of the line of the teeth.

The second feature of invention consists of a separater, the arms or bows of which have their ends or shank parts extending below the jaws, and havingits adjusting screw or screws located below the points of the jaws or the line of the gum.

The third feature of invention consists of two separate jaws operated by screws at their common ends, and having their Shanks or ends extending below the line of the'gums and curving away from the operati ngscrews.

ln the drawings, Figure l is a plan view of a separator embodying my improvements, which is shown as applied to the teeth ot' the upper jaw for the purpose of separating two adjacent teeth, while Fig. 2 shows a side or elevation view of one tooth with the separator in operative place, but in section on line .fr of Fig. 1.

Referring t0 these views in detaiL'A represents the two adjacent teeth to be separated.

B B are the bows of the separator, they being made of thin, stro-ng, and rigid steel, or other like material, and being shaped to curve up over theteeth, as shown in Fig. 2.

C C are the jaws which take hold upon the teeth. These jaws are of the general shape shown, springing from the body ofthebows and curving down, sothat their bearing-points take hold upon the neck ot' the teeth at or near the gums. It will be manifest, however, that the bows or jaws, or both, may be changed to conform to the different teeth, as usually two or more separators of slightly-different form will constitute a set suitable t0 operate upon any contiguous two of the upper or lower teeth. The ends or shanks D of the bows are carried to a point below the bearing-point of the j aws-that is, beyond such jaws toward or below the line of the gums-and are provided with tapped holes which receive the screw-bars E, there being a bar for each end of the bows. These bars are cut upon their opposite ends with right and left hand screw-threads, and the tapped holes of the shanks of the bows have their threads correspondingly arranged. The central portions of these bars are squared to afford a grasp for applying a wrench to turn the bars. They are also pierced with holes and slotted at their ends, so that apointed too1,or one having a screw-driver blade, may be used for the same purpose. From the screw-holes in the ends of the bows the Shanks turn back, as shown at F, so as to afford all space practicable laterally to the separation effected.

By this apparatus the teeth can be separated by the application of force on both sides of the teeth and with great steadiness, which is very essential in work of this kind. In fact, the separator can in most cases be arranged to maintain its position so firmly as to serve as a support for the fingers of the operator; and in the performance of delicate operations this opportunity for steadying the fingers and hand is of the utmost importance. By lowering the shanks of the bowsI am enabled to locate the screws below the line of the gums and entirely out ofthe way of the tools or emery-tape used upon the teeth. For the same reason, and because the top edges of the shanks are turned back and away from the sides or corners of the teeth, the emery-tape can be passed between the teeth down to thegum and wrapped around either of the teeth, thereby making it easy to finish the teeth to a natural contour.

Besides the foregoing advantages, this form of separator is especially adapted to hold a matrix-that is, the small band or shield -of metal that is placed upon or around theproXimal surface of a tooth, and that serves to determine the contour ofthe portion ofthe tooth to be filled or built up, aswell as to sustain the parts surrounding a cavity when the surrounding parts are reduced to a frail shell, or when the condition of the tooth for other reasons does not afford the desired bearing-points for the jaws of the separator.

Though I have describedthe feature of dropping the shanks and locating the adjustingscrews at a point below the bearing-point of lthe jaws, as applied to two separate bows, it

is manifest that it can be applied to a separator where the bows are attached to each other by a spring, and secure to such form of separator a part of the advantages attendant upon its use in the separator here shown. I do not, therefore, limit myself in the application of this feature to the form of separator here shown.

It is to be understood that this device belongs to that class of separators which are especially designed for separating the teeth at the time when they are being operated upon, thus avoiding the troubleinconvenience, and pain caused by the old forms of wedges, rubber bands, and screws--deviceswhich the paas the case demands) at the time of operatingupon the teeth, which are readily separated by it thefrequisite distance and held so until the work upon or adjacent their proximal surfaces has been finished, when the separator is removed and the teeth permitted to return to their normal position. By these means the separation and treatment can be accomplished at one sitting, and without establishing the inflamed condition incident to the old method of first forcing the teeth apart and keeping them in that condition long enough to insure their remaining separated during the time of operating upon them. The importance of the present improvements, therefore, becomes apparent, as they are all directed to making the separator available for use whenever separation is required, and to simplifying and shortening the usually difficult and tedious operations upon proximal surfaces.

Vhat I claim as new isl. In an apparatus for separating teeth, the combination of two separate bows constructed to pass over the teeth, and each provided with jaws adapted to engage the teeth, and two screws located at the ends of the bows, so as to be parallel with the gums, said screws being adapted to move the bows to and from each other along the line ofthe teeth.

2. In an apparatus for separating teeth, the combination of two bows constructed to pass over and down both sides of the teeth, and provided with jaws adapted to engage the teeth, and one or more screws for operating said bows located below the bearing-points of said jaws when the apparatus is in position upon the teeth. j

3. In anapparatus for separating teeth, the combination of two independent bows having jaws for engaging the teeth, and two screws, each threaded both right and left handed, for operating said bows.

4. In combination, the two bows B B, provided with the jaws VC C, and the screws E E, for operating said bows, the shanks D of said bows being turned back from the screws at E and the screws being located below the points of said jaws.

1 sAFFoRD G4. PERRY. Witnesses: Y

ALLAN W. PAIGE, Roerl F. GAYLonD.

IOO 

